The In Between Series 2 - Of Spies and Florists
by NeedtoKnow
Summary: Continuation of a Series of stories that fit "In Between" episodes that were aired so that some things can be better explained and explored. This falls in between "There Goes the Neighborhood" and "If Looks Could Kill". This one has a lot of background fluff along with a story. I hope you enjoy it.
1. Chapter 1 - Thinking Back

**Disclaimer - "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" are copyrighted to Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. This story is for entertainment only. I will not make any money off it but do hope that at least some people will enjoy it. The Characters are not mine, I only took them out to play with them for awhile so they could help me tell the story. All the credit goes to Bruce and Kate and their wonderful supporting staff for portraying these wonderful characters so well that so many of us still love them so much today. The additional characters and this story are mine.**

 **Chapter 1 - Recapping with Thoughts and Feelings**

Lee and Amanda walked away while the police rounded up Bobby Bouchard and his gang. As they walked, Lee thought about all that had just happened. He couldn't believe how well it had all turned out. When he realized that Amanda had been captured by Bobby, he was scared. He had told her at the beginning of this case that she didn't need any formal training because nothing bad ever happens in the Suburbs. That was before he realized that they had gotten right in the middle of a nest of smugglers of terrorists guns and he had sent Amanda right into the bull's-eye by suggesting she become a Connie Beth Girl. She was definitely not trained for this sort of thing at all and he was really worried that when they realized that she was of no real value to them, that they would simply kill her and get her out of their way. He purposely got himself captured by Bobby's goons so they would take him to Amanda. It worked perfectly and as they dragged him upstairs, he realized that everything hinged on getting Amanda to play along with him. They hadn't worked together in this way so he wasn't sure if she would catch on or not but he had to try. At first she looked at him with shock when he announced to Bobby that it was all her fault. It was almost like she thought he was throwing her under the bus just so he could get free. Then he gave her a look and a head gesture and the light came on in her eyes. He knew she got it and then she played the part just as well as Francine would have. He was even more impressed when she walked over to the table and picked up a can of hair spray and sprayed it into Bobby's eyes, giving Lee the distraction he needed so he could kick Bobby's man and allow them to make their getaway. He immediately grabbed Amanda's hand so that he could make sure he didn't get too far ahead of her and they began running up the stairs. In thinking about it afterward, he was impressed with how well she had kept her wits about her and did everything he asked. Most women would have curled up, screaming for him to save them but Amanda never once showed fear and did what needed to be done. He could feel her shaking as he held her as the crane lowered them to the ground but otherwise, she appeared to be so brave.

They stopped walking after they were far enough away from the whole scene. Amanda had asked Lee what was in the hair dryers and he gave the short answer of guns. His adrenaline, as always after a case like this, was running high. He wanted to relive the experience with the person who had been there the whole time. Not believing he was doing it, he asked Amanda if she wanted to go have a drink and he would tell her all about his discovery and the other facts he knew about the case plus they could laugh about their first cover of husband and wife. He was sad when she told him that she couldn't go but she did suggest that there would be another time. He didn't know how he felt about that because Amanda shouldn't be in this crazy business. She had 2 small boys at home and today's ending result could have been an unhappy one. He was thankful it wasn't and he was glad she was going home safely to those 2 boys. He walked her back to her car and told her that he would take a rain check on the drink. After seeing her off, he walked back to his own car.

As Amanda drove away, she couldn't help but wonder if she had made a mistake by not going for that drink with Lee. After all, she had been trying to get him to be more accepting of her being involved with the agency and when he finally acknowledged that he wanted her around, she said she couldn't but at least she did say "not this time." After all, there was Dean to consider. She still didn't know what her true feelings for Dean were. Her Mother wanted her to marry him in the worse way but Amanda had only been divorced for a year and just wasn't ready for another marriage plus the bottom line was that she didn't feel like she loved him enough to be married to him. Oh, he was a very good man and would make some woman very happy but she just didn't think she would be that woman. He was extremely dependable, financially stable and she knew he would take care of her. Amanda wasn't sure she wanted to be taken care of though. After being married to Joe all those years, she wanted some independence, a chance to prove something to herself and she needed to be able to take care of herself. Plus, she found Dean to be a little too normal. She wasn't that old yet and life should be a little more exciting than just working, eating, watching a movie, and sleeping. That's probably why this whole spy business was intriguing her. It definitely gave her a level of excitement that she never expected and she was having fun with it. She enjoyed the time during this past case when Lee and her squabbled about the curtains and rug that she had purchased for their "fake" house and he told her if she was so smart that she should solve the case. Amanda had always loved a challenge, she had a very logical mind and she loved mysteries. She had been thinking things over since the night before when they had broken into the Bodine's House and so she threw out what had been running around in her head, expecting Lee to tell her she was crazy. She was shocked and extremely happy when instead; Lee told her it was good. When he got ready to leave, she really wanted to hug him since she was one of those huggy type people but she could sense that it would be awkward if she did. In the end, they both were uncomfortable and finally settled on shaking each others hands.

The whole experience had been amazing to Amanda. It had taken her out of her comfort zone and given her a glimpse into a world that she didn't think truly existed. She blushed again thinking about how uncomfortable it was when Lee expected her to sleep in the same bed as he did. Even if Dean wasn't in the picture, she had strong beliefs and though Lee was a gorgeous man and the sight of his bare chest sent shivers down her spine, she knew that she was not one night stand type material. Dean, what was she going to do about Dean? Amanda pondered that as she pulled into her driveway.


	2. Chapter 2 - After the Case - Lee

**Chapter 2 - After the Case - Lee's POV**

As Lee walked the rest of the way to his car, he decided that he would go out to Emilios to have a drink and something to eat. When he arrived, he took a seat at the bar and asked Norman for a Scotch and a Chef Salad. As he was enjoying his meal, his eye caught a young blonde girl who was accompanied by an older man. He surmised right away that this was her dad. He couldn't take his eyes off her as she was definitely his type. She had long blonde hair, a pretty face, way too much makeup and well honestly she didn't look too bright. Lee preferred to date women who wouldn't figure out what he did for a living. He had no intentions of settling down anytime soon so his dates usually lasted less than a week and there was definitely no strings attached. As he was thinking about what a cute body she had, her eyes met his and he could tell she was checking him out also. A few minutes later, she appeared beside him at the bar and asked him if she could sit down for a minute.

"Of course, my name is Lee and you are...?"

"Hi, I'm Kammi. My dad took me out to dinner tonight to celebrate my 21st birthday but I couldn't help noticing you over here. Are you married?"

Lee laughed and said "No, not me. Are you?"

Kammi chuckled and said "I'm in no hurry to get married."

Lee was happy to hear that and said "Well I would love to get to know you better. Would you be free to have dinner here tomorrow night?" We could meet back here at 7pm?"

"That sounds perfect. Well I should get back to my Dad. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Oh Kammi, Happy 21st Birthday! I'm sure I can help you continue the celebration tomorrow night."

"I'll look forward to it."

Lee asked Norman for the bill, paid and left the restaurant. As he headed for the parking garage, his mind began wandering again to the case he just completed. He not only got a taste of what living a normal life was like but he pretended to be married to one of the most normal people he had ever met. As he got into his car, he decided he wasn't really ready to head home yet. He really needed to clear his head. He ended up on an old country road about an hour away from DC. It felt good just to drive his car and it was a beautiful night for a drive. He found driving to be very relaxing. He drove for quite awhile and was totally lost in his thoughts. It amazed him how well Amanda had done on this case. When she first showed up at the agency with her background paperwork filled out, he had tried to get rid of her. He was even excited for her when he heard that she had a job opportunity at that typing place. If she had a job, she wouldn't need to work for the agency. After making sure Amanda was safely out of the agency, Lee had returned to Billy's office with her paperwork. Billy took a look at it and was amazed at how thoroughly she had filled it all out. He handed it off to Francine and asked her to begin the process of checking everything out. Lee informed Billy that Amanda was heading to a job interview so she likely wouldn't need a job here after all. "Lee, I have an assignment for her. You have to go find her and stop her from taking the other job."

"Bill-Y, I'm sure we can handle it without her."

"Well the last time I checked, you have never had any dealings with Suburbia life and Francine sure doesn't fit the part but Amanda will be perfect to set up as your wife so you can solve this Betsy Ross Estates mystery."

"MY WIFE? Come on Bill-Y, really?"

"Lee I want Mrs. King on this case. Now that's an order. Go locate her and obtain her services for the next 3 days."

Lee knew he had been beaten so he sighed and said "Ok, I'll go get her."

He had arrived at the typewriter place and pushed his way in till he found the room where Amanda was. He pretended to be her husband and said that the triplets needed her. Amanda wasn't very happy with him at that time but later she confessed that Mr. Davenport seemed to be a little too eager to have her there and she wondered if he really cared about how many words she could type or whether he really would like to know her bra size instead.

Lee continued with the memories and recalled her reaction when he said they were getting married. He was definitely not the marrying kind and she knew it. Thinking about it, he took the ring out of his pocket and looked at it as he drove along the country road. Would he ever want to settle down and live like a normal person? The thought did appeal to him on some level and if he was going to, a woman like Amanda would be the type he would want to settle down with. She was definitely a smart woman. He had thrown out the challenge to her to solve the case and was in shock when she hit on the exact correct solution. How did she do that? He had been writing things down and trying to connect the dots and in one moment, Amanda just came right up with the correct answer. This housewife was proving to be more amazing than he had given her credit for. He wasn't ready to admit it yet though. No, he was determined that Amanda needed to stay out of the spy business. Speaking of Amanda, he just realized that his car had turned onto her road. He had no idea how he had gotten there. He quickly walked up to Amanda's back door and peered in. He could see that Amanda's Mother was downstairs with her so it would be impossible to get her attention to talk to her. What did he want to say to her anyway? Besides, he needed to get his rest so he would be ready for his date with Kammi tomorrow night.


	3. Chapter 3 - After the Case - Amanda

**Chapter 3 - After the Case - Amanda's POV**

 **(Please note that the quotes used from "There Goes the Neighborhood" are for continuation purposes only and are not meant to be an infringement of copyright laws)**

Amanda arrived home after the family had finished dinner. She had totally forgotten that Dean was coming for dinner. Since she had been asked to help with this case, she had meant to cancel their date but forgot. She found out that Dean had stayed for dinner with the family but in the end had decided to leave afterward since she was still not home. Amanda helped Dotty do up the dinner dishes and then told the boys that she wanted to go over their homework with them. Jamie had been struggling a little with his new spelling words so she wanted to make sure he knew them now. She went through the whole list of 20 words with him and he spelled all of them perfectly. Phillip had her look at his math and she could see right away that he had worked hard on it and had done it right. She was very proud of her boys. After she sent them up to bed, she realized that she should probably call Dean and apologize for standing him up. She told her Mother that she was going to call him before it got to be too late and Dotty told her how concerned Dean was that she hadn't arrived for dinner. She then pointed out that Dean was concerned and dependable and those were two important qualities in a man. Amanda agreed that he had both of those qualities. Dotty then went on to say "I mean the problem with some people is that they vanish from your life just as quickly as they came. With some men, you can have an absolutely thrilling evening and there's no guarantee that you are ever going to see them again. You know what I mean?"

Amanda replied "Yeah, tell me about it." She soon became lost in thought again. Her mind went back to the case she just finished with Lee. She remembered how scared she was as she realized that something was wrong when they announced her as a new member of the Golden Circle Girl. She had tried to play dumb with Bobby Bouchard and convince him that she didn't know what he was talking about. He wasn't buying it and then Lee was dragged into the room. She was shocked when he told Bobby that it was all her idea and then she realized that this was an act. She felt like her legs were shaking as she got up and reached for the hair spray but knowing that Lee was in the room, gave her the courage to fight back. It felt good that he reached for her hand as they fled from Bobby and his goons. When they got to the roof and there didn't seem to be any way out, she didn't panic because she still felt that Lee would figure something out. He really was good at his job and she loved watching him in action. Of course, it didn't hurt that he was nice to watch too. When she ran to the crane and he swooped her up, she hoped he couldn't feel how badly her body was shaking. She was glad to be back on the ground.

"Amanda? Amanda?"

"Huh?"

Amanda realized that her Mother was calling her name. "Aren't you going to go tuck the boys in and call Dean?"

She hesitated for a moment and then headed up the stairs. After tucking them both in, giving out final good night kisses, Amanda headed back down the stairs. She went into the kitchen and began the final cleanup for the night. As she was cleaning the countertops, she suddenly got the feeling that someone was watching her so she looked out her window but couldn't see anyone. She shrugged and decided that she must be imagining things. She reached for the phone and called Dean. "Where were you?" He asked.

"I'm really sorry Dean. Some things came up and I should have canceled our date but I was so busy I totally forgot. Maybe we could go out tomorrow night for pizza and bowling."

"I'd like that. I'll pick you up at 7pm. Good night Amanda."

"Good Night Dean."


	4. Chapter 4 - The Next Day

**Chapter 4 - The Next Day**

Amanda woke up the next morning and decided to go into the agency and chat with Billy. She really needed some sort of steady income and she wanted to find out if Billy was going to be able to give her more work or if she should start applying to other places. The drive in was uneventful. When she arrived at the agency, she entered the building and waited for someone to notice she was there. She still felt amused that the place was set up so secretively that no one would guess that a huge government facility was hidden downstairs. She wondered how they even knew she was there.

Upstairs, Billy saw that Amanda was in the lobby waiting for someone to notice her. The woman had some sort of sixth sense since he was just thinking how perfect she would be to help Lee with his next assignment. He wasn't so sure Lee would agree but he would deal with him later. Billy buzzed Francine and asked her to go retrieve Amanda and bring her to his office. Francine sighed and said "Right away."

He then buzzed Lee's phone line and asked him to step in to see him. As Lee entered Billy's office, he noticed that Billy was lowering the blinds. It usually meant that either he was about to be chewed out or this was a top secret issue so Lee sat in front of Billy's desk and waited for him to speak. Billy smiled and said "We are waiting for someone."

"Oh, is Francine going to be in on this?"

"Well yes and no. She will listen to the assignment so she can help you out if you need it, but I'm bringing in some special help for you today."

At that moment, there was a knock at the door and Billy said "come in". Amanda and Francine walked through the door while Lee quietly groaned.

"So nice to see you again, Mrs. King." said Billy as he gestured to her to have a seat next to Lee. "You will be happy to know that we finalized your background checks and everything checked out perfectly just like I knew it would. I can't say that I can offer you full time employment, but I would like to offer some steady work to keep you busy. Would you be interested?"

"Oh Sir, that would be great. I really would love to accept. I just know that I can do a good job here and with Mr. Stetson's guidance, I will learn a lot. Thank you Sir, I really appreciate your vote of confidence in me. When can I begin sir?"

"How about right now?"

Lee sat up straight in the chair and said "Billy-Y, what are you doing?"

"Lee, I have an assignment for you and Amanda. Now I'm sure you heard all about the incident that happened this morning?"

"Sir?, I'm afraid I don't know what you are talking about."

"That's okay Amanda. This morning one of our agents was at the local flower shop to buy his wife some flowers when he noticed something strange happening. He was pretty sure he saw some well known KGB agents having a very friendly discussion with the Florist and then he saw some papers exchange hands along with what appeared to be an envelope full of money. Now, we don't know what is exactly going on but in doing a background check of the florist, we discovered that his wife works at the agency and that he was arrested 3 years ago for stealing a sizable amount of money from a government facility. The arrest didn't stick though because they never found the money and none of the witnesses would testify. We need to find out what documents were passed to the KGB and we also need to find out if anything else has been handed over and we need to find out what this man is up to."

"What do you want me to do sir?"

"That's where you fit in perfectly. I know how much you love flowers and so I want you to take a job with this florist so you can be the eyes and ears for Lee to help figure out this information. Lee meanwhile is going to become a flower delivery person so that he can be accessible at all times."

"Sir? How are we going to get these jobs? It isn't like either of us have experience and what if they aren't hiring?"

"Actually, they are hiring. This flower shop can't seem to hold onto their help and so they are always trying to find employees. That leads us to believe that something is amiss too. We have put together profiles for both of you so that you do have experience and will be perfectly suited for the jobs. Do you think you can do it Amanda?"

"I will do my best sir."

Billy looked at Lee and saw the scowl on his face. "What do you say Lee? You know there is a good chance that our agents are in trouble due to this apparent breach. We have to find a way to determine what has been breached and put a stop to it. Can I count on you?"

"Of course Billy. I just think Francine would be better suited for this than Amanda though. What does she know about this business?"

"That's just it Lee, she doesn't but what does Francine know about flowers? Amanda will be there to help keep an eye on things but she will be able to help arrange flowers and well let's face it, Francine can't organize a bowl of fruits so how could she convince anyone that she could work with flowers."

Lee sighed and said "Alright. So we need to go apply for these jobs?"

Billy said "yes, but there is one more thing. You and Amanda will need to be able to talk throughout the work shift without looking suspicious so you will use the Husband and Wife cover again. Is that going to be a problem?"

Amanda swallowed hard and quietly said "No sir, no problem on my end"

Lee hadn't turned back in the ring yet so he took it out of his pocket and handed it to her.

Francine chuckled and said "you two sure do make a cute couple."

"Can it!" Billy glared at her.

Amanda and Lee walked out while discussing the next steps. They would go down together and apply for the jobs. It was important that they were both hired. They agreed to use the last name of Steadman while keeping their first names. It was also decided to use Amanda's car for transportation since it would be a little suspicious to be in the Porsche looking for a delivery job. Francine brought them their newly created profiles along with resumes that would help them get the jobs.

Lee drove them both over to The Enchanted Garden Flower Boutique and they walked in together while holding hands. There was an older woman at the counter who seemed extremely frazzled. Amanda spoke first in a very cheery voice "Hello! We would like to apply for jobs here." The woman looked up and her face brightened when she saw them. "Do you have any experience? What kind of position are you looking for? Oh I'm sorry, my name is Jane."

"Hi Jane" Amanda continued. "I'm Amanda and this is my husband Lee. I have 5 years experience in flower arrangements. My husband doesn't have as much of a green thumb but he excels at doing deliveries and odds and ends." They both handed Jane their resumes.

After quickly looking at them, she said "When can you start? You have no idea how much I needed this miracle to happen today. I really need help. Our last delivery guy suddenly disappeared 2 days ago and never called to tell me where to even send his final check. The owner had to take over that position which leaves me short handed here in the store."

Lee and Amanda both gave Jane a sympathetic look and said almost at the same time "We can start today."

"That's great news! Okay, Amanda, I have these orders to put together and Lee can you start by delivering the vases that are in the fridge over there? All the delivery information is on a tag in the front. You can take the van outside; the keys are on the hook by the door. I can't pay you much to start but if you both work out, we can negotiate something with Craig, the owner."

"That sounds good." Amanda said. The rest of the day was busy as Amanda and Lee tried to get Jane caught up on her orders. Neither of them saw anything suspicious but they also never saw Craig. At 5pm, the shop closed and Jane told them both again how much she really appreciated their help. She told Amanda that she was very pleased with her work and was excited to have her begin some more difficult arrangements in the morning. They were asked to be back at 8:30am. Lee drove Amanda back to the agency so he could pick up his car. Along the way he mentioned that he had a date that night. Amanda said "oh, that's good. Have you been seeing her for awhile?"

"No, actually I just met Kammi. She just celebrated her 21st birthday with her dad last night and I thought she might like someone closer to her age to help celebrate it the correct way." Amanda giggled and then put her hand over her mouth to keep the giggles from getting out of control.

"What's so funny?" asked Lee.

"Oh, just the thought that you are going to date a 21 year old and think that you are her age. Now, Lee, you know you are in your 30's."

Lee ran his hand through his hair and said "Amanda, that's not the point. She was out with her father. She should have a more suitable companion for such a special occasion."

Amanda rolled her eyes and said "Okay Lee, just don't hurt yourself. She's likely to be a lot more nimble than you are." Amanda giggled again at her own joke.

They arrived back at the agency and Lee jumped out and headed for his car. He called back that he would meet her at the agency at 7am the following morning so they could talk to Billy before they headed to the florist shop. They both called out their good-nights to each other and headed their separate ways.


	5. Chapter 5 - Lee's Date

**Chapter 5 - Lee's Date**

Lee was tired from the day but knew that he would soon feel a burst of energy when he met up with Kammi at Emilio's. He rushed home and grabbed a shower and then dressed in a comfortable shirt and a tight fitting pair of Jeans. He arrived at Emilio's at 6:45pm and went inside to wait for his date. Kammi showed up at 7:05pm. She was wearing a low cut blouse with equally tight fitting jeans and Lee didn't mind the scenery. He stood up as she approached the table and gave her a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. She smiled at him and asked "Have you been waiting long?

"No, but I did go ahead and order a bottle of wine. I hope you don't mind."

"Thanks, I normally drink beer but wine is good too."

"So did you have a good birthday?"

"It was okay. All my friends are in college so no one was around to help me celebrate. Dad at least took me out for a nice meal and then presented me with a new car as my birthday present."

"Wow, that was nice of him. How come you aren't in college?"

"College is lame. My parents tried to convince me to go so that I had a degree in something but they told me that they expected me to keep at least a 3.0 which would have greatly affected my partying time. So I chose not to go. Dad owns a shoe store so I just work for him. One day I will inherit it all so I really don't need to have a degree."

Lee remembered his struggles with different Universities due to partying but chose to change the subject instead. "I am glad that you agreed to go out with me tonight. Should we order some food?"

"I have to watch my figure. I'll just have a salad."

"Sure, sounds good." Lee caught their waitress's eye and asked for 2 salads. When they arrived, Kammi picked hers over while she talked on and on about fashion, makeup and her favorite shopping places. Even Lee had to admit that this girl was truly boring. He reminded himself that he maybe she was good at other things though and once he had paid the check, he asked her if she wanted to come back to his place. She asked him what he drove and when he responded a "Porsche", she said "What are we waiting for?"

She convinced Lee to take the long way home so she could enjoy riding in the car. When they arrived at his apartment building, he guided her through the lobby while the doorman Floyd rolled his eyes seeing another of Lee's "Girls" heading to his apartment. Once they reached his apartment, he suggested that she made herself comfortable while he got them some more wine. He also told her to go ahead and put some music on. Kammi looked over Lee's music selection while shaking her head. She then looked at the way he had decorated his apartment and let out a big sigh. When Lee came out with the wine, she said "Lee, this isn't going to work. I think you are much older than I am and quite frankly you just really aren't my type."

"What do you mean Kammi? Haven't you had a fun evening so far? Let's listen to some Rolling Stones while we get comfortable on the couch and I'm sure that we can find something entertaining to do. After all, we still have a birthday celebration to continue. "

Kammi shook her head and said "I think I'd better go. My boyfriend doesn't know I'm here and he is the jealous type so I wouldn't want him to hurt you."

"Boyfriend?"

"Yes, I probably forgot to mention that to you. Sorry. Thanks for a nice dinner though.

Kammi exited the apartment leaving Lee with his mouth hanging open.


	6. Chapter 6 - The Second Day

**Chapter 6 - The Second Day**

Lee arrived at the agency just before 7am to find that Amanda was already there. He had had a rough night because he still couldn't believe how bad things went with Kammi. It was sure to ruin his reputation if that information got out so he was determined to hook up with someone new soon so that he could bounce back. Amanda met him with a cheery "Hello Lee" as soon as he walked in. He mumbled a hello back and headed to the coffee station. Why were mornings so difficult? Why did that woman have to be so damn cheerful all the time?

They walked to Billy's office together to give him a quick recount of the previous day. When they entered his office, they could tell that something had happened.

Lee was the first to ask "What's wrong Billy?"

"Agent Strafford was found in the Potomac last night; he had been shot in the head. No one was supposed to know he was in D.C. He had been sent here for safe keeping."

Lee responded "Strafford was a good man, a great agent. Any idea why someone would kill him?"

Billy looked thoughtful and said "Well we had him in D.C. to keep him safe until McBrine's case went to trial. McBrine has treason charges against him for selling some top secret designs and specs of a new computerized car that was being developed to the Syrians. The court case is only a couple of weeks away and Agent Strafford was the key witness since it was his case.

"Damn, does that mean we don't have anything now to nail McBrine?" Lee wondered.

"Actually we have 2 other witnesses hidden away. We really need to figure out how it was leaked that Strafford was here though. If there is a leak, we need to plug it. I can't help but wonder if it has anything to do with this florist because his wife would have had access to the information of where Strafford's safe house was."

Amanda had sat listening to the exchange between the two men. She couldn't help but wonder if she should have gotten involved in this crazy business but it was too late now. She needed to stay strong otherwise she wouldn't be much use to the agency.

Lee realized it was getting late and said that he and Amanda needed to get going. They drove in silence back to the floral shop. Jane was extremely excited to see that they had returned. She quickly introduced them to Craig, the owner of the shop.

Amanda was a little shocked at the appearance of Craig as she had dealt with flower shops enough in the past to know what you normally would expect in a shop owner. Craig was 6' 5" tall, weighed about 280 pounds, and had a Mohawk and several tattoos on his body along with earrings in both ears. Jane introduced Amanda and Lee to him and told him how much they had helped her the day before. Craig sneered and said "I don't know if we can afford any new help right now Jane." Jane replied "I need help Craig. I can't do it all and lately you have had very little time to help out. These two are really good and well worth the low salary I offered them."

Craig glared at Lee and nodded and said "Fine, for now. Just until you get caught up."

Amanda couldn't help but be a little intimidated by his attitude. She was glad that Lee was there with her.

"Okay, well let's get to work" Craig demanded.

Lee picked up the list of deliveries for the morning and began loading the van while Amanda walked with Jane over to the creation table to complete the orders needed for the afternoon. They both worked quietly at their tasks but Amanda kept an eye out as to where Craig was. Craig stayed in his office most of the morning and Amanda was worried that she was missing something. Later on, she excused herself for a bathroom break and as she neared the restroom, she could hear Craig screaming to someone on the phone. She stood against the wall outside his office door so she could hear better and listened.

Craig screamed into the phone "Do you realize that they have already found the body? Why did you have to throw it in such an obvious place for? When I hired you, I told you that all of this had to be done quietly so that they didn't know we were trying to get rid of the evidence. Now you have the other two witnesses being watched so it will be nearly impossible to take them out."

There was a pause while the person on the other end of the phone said something.

"NO, I can't just threaten them. These people are Federal Agents. The only way to keep them quiet is to make sure they don't ever talk again. Now I have only a couple of more days to get the rest of the plans to the KGB before this case goes to trial and I need to get rid of those agents before all that happens. I want you to figure out a way to get to them. UNDERSTOOD? I SURE HOPE SO!" He then slammed down the phone and Amanda hurried to the bathroom. She knew she needed to talk to Lee ASAP and tell him what she had heard.

Meanwhile Lee was busy making deliveries. He was on his last stop from this batch and when he rang the doorbell, it was opened by this really cute blonde haired, freckled face young girl. He told her that he had a delivery for Mrs. Jonas and the girl told him that that was her mom but she wasn't home. Lee asked when she was expected back and was told not until later this evening after she got off work. The girl informed him that her name was Cyndi and that she could sign for them if it was okay. Lee smiled and said that would be wonderful. She invited him in and asked him if she could get him anything to drink. Lee asked if she had any coffee and she said she could make a fresh pot. She invited him to sit down at the kitchen table while she prepared it.

"So Cyndi, do you have a boyfriend?" Lee had learned his lesson.

"Not at the moment, he broke up with me a few weeks ago."

"Really? That was stupid of him. You are a beautiful woman. Do you like to dance? I know of a really fun Nightclub that is having a special Rock and Roll Event tomorrow night. Would you like to go with me?"

"Sure, that would be great! I love going to Nightclubs."

"Me too. My name is Lee. I'm glad your mother wasn't home Cyndi. I might not have had this opportunity to meet you otherwise."

Cyndi got up and poured them both a cup of coffee. "So how long have you been delivering flowers?"

"Off and on for a few years now" Lee answered. "It sure beats working the grave yard shift in a factory."

"That's true."

"What do you do for work?"

"Oh, I'm a hair stylist. I am hoping to have my own place soon."

"That's great." Lee said as he finished his coffee. "Well I guess I should really be going. I still have more deliveries to take care of. Can I pick you up here at 7pm tomorrow night?"

"That sounds good! Thanks for inviting me Lee."

Lee said his goodbyes and then headed for the van. One of the good things about this job was obviously in the people he met.

When he arrived back at the floral shop, he could tell that Amanda had news. He asked her if she would like to go out for a quick lunch and she immediately agreed. They told Jane that they would be back in 30 minutes.

At a local pizza place, they both grabbed steak and cheese subs and sat in the far corner booth to eat them. Amanda told Lee what she had overheard. Lee asked her if she was sure and she insisted she was. Lee stared into space while he thought about this new development. They didn't have any evidence, just Amanda's word against Craig's. Lee needed to obtain access into that office to see if he could find anything that would help. "We are going to have to break in tonight."

"What do you mean - We?"

"I mean, I need your help. I need someone to watch my tail for me as I break in. I could bring another agent but if we get caught, it would look more suspicious than if it was you and me."

"Well does it have to be tonight since it is such short notice? Can't we do it tomorrow night? I already put off one date with Dean and I promised him that we could go out bowling tonight."

"No, it can't be tomorrow night because I have a date."

"Oh, Kammi wants to see you again? That must mean the date went really well last night" Amanda said with a bit of sarcasm.

"Actually Kammi and I agreed that it wouldn't work out. This date is with Cyndi who I just met today."

"Today? Lee, you are supposed to be working, not picking up women"

"I couldn't help it, I went to deliver flowers to her mother, but she was at work so Cyndi accepted them."

"Oh, I see, and so because you have a date, I should cancel my date?"

"No Amanda, we need to get a move on this. Two agents' lives are in danger. Can we please think about that instead of whose date is more important?"

"Okay fine. Am I picking you up at your apartment tonight then?"

"Yes, please. I think we could meet back here at midnight."

"MIDNIGHT? Are you crazy? If we get caught, how are we going to explain being here at midnight?"

"I don't know. If it happens, I will think of something. Come on, we have to get back before they become suspicious."

The rest of the day was uneventful and once again Jane was impressed with how helpful both Lee and Amanda were and made a comment at the end of the day. Craig had left after lunch stating simply that he had something to do. Lee had called the agency and Billy had sent an agent out to tail Craig.

Amanda and Lee pulled into the agency's parking lot just after 6pm. They went to Billy's office to fill him in and to find out if anything had happened from tailing Craig. Billy was not happy to hear the news that Craig was trying to find a way to kill off the other two witnesses but was relieved that they at least knew now that they were on the right track to stop it from happening. Did this mean that Craig's wife was feeding secret agency information to Craig? They couldn't let her know that they were on to her though so they could only be a little more vigilant in watching her. The agent that had tailed Craig said that he had driven to a hardware store, then to a grocery store and then had gone home. There didn't seem to be anything suspicious in his actions but it was decided that they would continue keeping an eye on him. Lee told Billy about his decision to check out Craig's office tonight. Billy was a little concerned about Lee taking Amanda along but agreed that it made the most sense. Billy asked Amanda if she was okay with it and she said she was.

"Okay, well you two should go home and get some rest then, it will be a busy night for you."

Little did they know what an understatement that was going to turn out to be.


	7. Chapter 7 - The Break In

**CHAPTER 7 - The Break In**

Amanda picked up Lee at exactly midnight from his apartment. She had rushed to get things done at the house after calling Dean to tell him that she had to spend the night with a sick dog. She wondered how much longer he would believe her stories. Dotty looked at her with a hint of suspicion when she told her the same story but she let it go this time.

Amanda drove her car over to the floral shop and parked around the corner just in case anyone drove by. She could still see the floral shop's door from where she was sitting and Lee said "Now Amanda, I want you to stay in the car. I'm going to go take a look around Craig's office and see if I can find anything and if you see anyone coming, I want you to blow the car horn. Okay?"

"But Lee, it is a little late at night to be blowing the car's horn. Shouldn't I just come inside and help you look around?"

"Amanda, who's going to watch the door if you do that? No, I need you to stay in the car this time. That is what's going to help me the most. I'll be back as soon as I can. Remember; blow your car horn if anyone comes to the door."

Lee got out and quietly made his way to the front door. Lee was a little shocked when he had checked for an alarm system earlier that day and realized that none was installed. That certainly made things easier. He quickly used his lock pick to open the door and made his way through the building until he got to Craig's office. The door was locked but easy enough to open. He made his way to the desk and began looking through the drawers. He started on the left hand side and then proceeded to the right. There wasn't anything interesting in any of those drawers. In looking closer at the desk, he realized that there was a secret compartment in the middle and after a minute of analyzing it, he was able to open it. Inside the drawer, he found a key. Abandoning the desk, he began looking around the rest of the office and came across a safe behind the artwork over Craig's desk. The key fit into it perfectly and soon Lee had the safe opened. Inside he found pictures of the computerized car specs along with several other classified designs from various projects being developed including a computerized RV that was equipped with missiles and other weaponry. Lee continued to look through the safe and soon found a passport that appeared to be Craig's but the name on it said Nikolay Dubrovsky. He found a list of KGB contacts along with a letter to Nikolay Dubrovsky from Leonid Brezhnev recognizing him for his bravery and resourcefulness of being a spy for Mother Russia. Lee then came across an envelope that appeared to have many thousands of dollars in it along with paperwork showing a Swiss bank account that listed Nikolay as the only Account Holder and had a balance of $1.8 Million dollars. The latest deposit had been just 2 days before for $500,000. Underneath the whole pile was a pack of pictures. Lee looked quickly through the pictures and saw that some of them were of Agent Strafford. They showed him standing with the Prosecutor for the McBrine case, shaking hands with the Governor, and the last one showed him with a bullet in his head. He also came across pictures of himself, Francine, and other Agents including the 2 witnesses for the McBrine case. It was obvious that Nikolay had been doing his homework. It was equally obvious that Nikolay had gotten inside information from his wife. Since none of this evidence could be used in a court, Lee knew he had to get out of there now and they needed to set a trap for Nikolay. He also needed to get Amanda safely off this case. His mind went to Amanda and suddenly he knew he needed hurry back to her.

Outside, Amanda watched Lee go to the door of the Floral Shop and pick the lock and go inside. She hated that she had to wait in the car and didn't know what was going on but Lee was right, someone needed to keep watch. She sat quietly in the car for about 20 minutes and then suddenly she heard a noise behind her. She turned around to find that Craig had climbed into the back seat of her car.

"Well, Well, Well, what do we have here? Mrs. Steadman, you are arriving at work awfully early. I had no idea you were so faithful. Where is that husband of yours? Surely he must be here too? Oh, I see, he is inside my building going through my office isn't he, Mrs. Steadman or should I call you Mrs. King?"

Amanda gasped a little when she heard him say her real name and her face gave it away.

Craig began chuckling "You didn't think you could fool a Russian Spy did you? I knew who Lee was as soon as I met him. I had to do a little research on you though. I must admit that the agency is getting smarter by hiring ordinary people like you so that it isn't so obvious that they have agents around. You certainly fooled me at first. Nonetheless Mrs. King, it is a shame that you had to get involved in all of this. I can't afford to make any mistakes when we are so close to finally getting rid of those witnesses so that my fellow comrade McBrine can come home to Russia. So let's go see what Mr. Stetson has found of interest in my office, shall we?"

Craig motioned for Amanda to get out of the car and then he followed behind her with his gun aimed at her back.

Amanda had been quiet until they had reached the building and then she said "You know you won't get away with this right? Even if you kill Lee and me, others are hot on your tail."

"Oh, do you mean that agent that has been tailing me all day? You see, if you are going to be a spy, you have to make sure you have all the correct pieces in place. You pretend to get married to someone who works for a Federal agency who just happens to have a whole lot of gambling debt and is desperate to find a way out of it. That person has to be well connected in the agency though and have a hand in all aspects of the day to day operations. Now of course the agency didn't tell her that they were putting a tail on me, but they did tell one of her "friends" there who felt she needed to know that her husband was under suspicion since everyone knows what a great guy I am and surely I couldn't be a criminal. Now let's stop stalling and get inside shall we?"

He pushed Amanda into the building while warning her to be quiet. They headed toward Craig's office where they could see a light shining under the door. Craig put his arm around Amanda's neck and told her to call out to Lee.

"Lee, can you come out here for a minute?" Amanda said.

Lee knew that Amanda should be in the car so either she didn't obey him again or else something was wrong. This time, he was pretty sure that there was something wrong. He looked around the office for a place to hide and didn't find anything suitable. He placed himself so when the door opened, Craig wouldn't be able to see him right away.

After Amanda's request didn't work, Craig yelled out "Stetson, I have the woman. If you don't want me to blow her brains out right now, you better come out of there with your hands where I can see them. I mean business. I'm sure by now you realize that it was because of me that your precious Strafford was killed. Come out here NOW!"

Lee knew he didn't have a choice so he walked out with his hands up and Craig threw Amanda to the side and grabbed Lee's gun. He then motioned for Lee to join Amanda.

"Yes, Strafford begged for his life in the end. I thought you agents were supposed to be so brave and strong. He mentioned something about a wife and kids. But you, Stetson, don't have a wife and kids so I guess you won't be begging for your life. Mrs. King on the other hand will be leaving behind her 2 boys; such a shame. You should have both stayed out of my business. It's okay though because you are going to help me get to those two other witnesses. Mother Russia will be so happy with me for handling all of this. Who knows, maybe I will get another letter of commendation. What do you think Stetson? If I kill you, do you think I will be rewarded?"

Lee glared at him.

"Oh the big agent man has nothing to say. That's good; I don't want to listen to you anyway. Okay you two, head on out, nice and slow to the van. No funny stuff if you don't want me to kill you both right now."

He grabbed Amanda's arm and shoved the gun into Lee's back to convince him to begin moving. As they passed the creation table, Amanda noticed that Craig had his eyes on Lee so she quietly dropped her purse to the floor. She was hoping to at least alert Jane that something wasn't right.

Craig shoved them both into the back of the van, handcuffing them to each other and to a bar in the back. He then climbed into the van and began driving. He drove for about 20 minutes and then pulled into the driveway of a Yellow Colonial style home. Lee wondered why he didn't blindfold them and then realized that the man was so sure of himself, that he wasn't taking nearly the precautions he should be. When Craig unlocked them from the Van, he ordered them into the house. As they entered, Sara from the Agency met them at the front door.

"Oh Nikolay, what have you done now? You shouldn't have brought them here!"

"Shut up Sara and go make my dinner. I will deal with them."

He pushed them both towards a set of stairs that led to the Basement. He told them that no one would hear them so they better not try any funny stuff. Again, Lee was shocked when he didn't feel the need to tie them up or restrain them in any way. Instead, he simply locked the basement door with a deadbolt that was controlled from the other side of the door. Lee found the light switch and turned it on before they walked down the stairs to find a room that had a couch, dining room table and a bed. Amanda sat on the bed while Lee looked around. There were no obvious signs of a way out. He then came and sat on the couch and the two of them compared notes on what they had learned. So now it made sense, Craig was really Nikolay, a decorated Russian spy and his wife was only a cover and a means to get classified information from the agency. They had to figure out a way to get out so they could alert Billy because Nikolay was forming plans to kill the other 2 witnesses. Lee was sure that he would be used to help that happen. In the Basement, they couldn't hear anything going on upstairs. Lee was determined to find a way out so he spent the next hour checking over every inch of the basement. He couldn't find any weak spots at all. The only other choice they had was to try to blindside Nikolay when he came to the door. In the meantime, they could only wait. Since it was 2:30am, they decided to get a little sleep. Amanda took the couch since she was shorter and Lee slept in the bed. Lee found that he didn't sleep much though as his mind was working overtime on trying to figure a way out. He was sure that once Nikolay didn't need them anymore, he would kill them and he could decide that he didn't need Amanda at any moment so Lee had to get them out now. There had to be some way, Lee was determined to figure it out.


	8. Chapter 8 - Missing Persons

**Chapter 8 - Missing Persons**

Jane arrived at the floral shop the next morning and awaited her help. When they didn't show up by 9am, she decided to begin the day by herself. As she was standing at the creation table, her eyes happened to notice Amanda's purse. She knew that she had seen it on Amanda's shoulder when she left yesterday, she was sure of it. She picked it up and looked around the shop for any other clues as to how it got there but didn't see any. She tried calling them at the number they had listed on their application and reached what appeared to be a business. She was put on hold and a few minutes later, a man answered the phone. "Hello? You are looking for Lee and Amanda?"

"Yes, this is Jane at the floral shop where they have been working and they didn't show up for work this morning. They listed this phone number so I was hoping you could tell me where they are?"

"Jane, are you alone there?"

"Yes I am, the owner took today off."

"Good, I'm on my way so we can talk."

"Wait, who is this?"

"I'll explain it all to you when I get there."

Billy hung up the phone and then picked it up again and summoned Francine into his office. "We have a problem. Lee and Amanda didn't show up at work today."

"They didn't make any of their check ins either Billy. I was just trying to find out if the agent who was tailing Craig could tell us anything."

"Did Craig's wife show up to work?"

"Actually she called in and said she had a migraine and was taking the day off." Francine said.

"This is not looking good. Well we need to get over to the floral shop and talk to Jane." 

Along the way Billy's car phone rang and when Billy answered it, he heard the news that the agent who had been tailing Craig was just found strangled in an alley in D.C. They were in the process of checking over the crime scene for any evidence. It seemed more important than ever now to find Lee and Amanda as soon as possible.

Billy and Francine arrived shortly after 10am at the Floral Shop and were greeted by Jane.

Billy showed Jane his badge and explained what was going on. Jane was genuinely shocked and scared and asked if she was in any danger. Billy assured her that they would give her protection but that she should close up the floral shop for now. They wanted to see if Craig would come back to it. "I've only been working for Craig for about 6 months. This shop was owned by a lovely lady named Arianne previously but one day she disappeared and Craig said he had bought it from her. He asked me to stay on so I did. I have been working at this shop for 20 years now and Arianne's business was a booming business. When Craig took it over, things changed a lot. We lost a lot of our customers and there has been a lot of strange things going on but I just always tried to do my job and ignore them."

"Like what kind of strange things?" Francine asked.

"Well there have been several people by to see Craig who don't speak much, if any, English. I have seen what appeared to be envelopes of money being exchanged for papers. Plus, Craig is supposed to be married but I have never met his wife, he doesn't wear a ring and she never calls here. Then one Friday night I had left the shop and forgot my day planner so I came back. I could hear what sounded like someone being beaten up in Craig's office. I was scared though and didn't stick around to see what was going on. I have actually been looking for a new job because something isn't right here and Craig is terribly abusive with anyone that I hire to help me so I can't keep help. I was so excited that Lee and Amanda seemed to be willing to stay. I should have known it was too good to be true."

"Sorry Jane." Billy said. "I'm afraid we have to shut this shop down for now."

"I understand. Oh, here's Amanda's purse. I found it near the table where she was working. I'm sure she had it when she left yesterday so I'm not sure if she was leaving you a clue or what. I'm sure she will want it back once you find her. I hope she and Lee are okay."

"Lee is one of our best agents and Amanda is with him, so hopefully everything is fine." Billy gave Jane a reassuring smile.

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Upon returning to the office, Billy discovered that they had received a recorded message stating that Scarecrow and the King Woman were being held prisoner and that if the agency wanted them back they had to trade the two witnesses, Stevens and Baxter for them.

Billy asked to be left alone. He sat at his desk with his hands hooked together as he thought. They had been in tight spots like this before but usually a civilian was not in the mix. How was he going to free Lee and Amanda and keep the witnesses safe too?

Dirk busted into his office just about that time. "I heard that the famous Scarecrow is in trouble once again Billy. I don't think I have to remind you that the agency in no way will let you use Stevens and Baxter in this bargaining game. Scarecrow will have to find his own way out."

"And if he can't Dirk? Then what?"

"Then we lose an agent. It won't be the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last. Maybe Scarecrow's replacement will follow rules better."

"You are a piece of work, Dirk. Get out of my office."

"I'm just doing my job Billy." Dirk said as he left.


	9. Chap 9-Taking Matters In Your Own Fists

**Chapter 9 - Taking Matters in Your Own Fists**

The next morning, Amanda awoke to see Lee looking at her. She could tell right away that he hadn't slept at all.

"What happened to the philosophy that we stay alive better if we get sleep?" She asked him.

Lee frowned at her and said "I've been thinking of how to get us out of this."

"Did you come up with anything?"

"I think so. I want you to follow my lead when the time comes, okay?"

"Sure, can you share what your lead will be?"

"It will depend on when Nikolay decides to come down here. I'm hoping he comes down with food for us but he might decide not to bother feeding us."

At that moment, they heard the deadbolt being slid open and Sara stepped inside. She was holding a gun in one hand and a picnic basket in the other. She walked down the stairs and set the basket on the Dining room table.

Lee said "Why Sara? You had such a great career at the agency. Why would you betray your country like this?"

"You don't understand what it is like being single and struggling from day to day. Some friends brought me to the casino and at first, I was making a lot of money playing Blackjack but then suddenly after a few nights, I couldn't seem to win anything. They kept letting me borrow more and more money and soon I was so far in debt that I was ready to commit suicide. Then Nikolay came along and offered me a way out. I was a little nervous and upset at first but then he told me that no one would get hurt. He only wanted the car designs and then I would be free. After I gave him those, he wanted more though. When I threatened to turn myself in and have him arrested, he reminded me that I had committed treason and would never see outside a jail cell again. The deeper I got, the harder it seemed to get out of it. He promised not to hurt anyone though. Then I found out that he had killed at least 2 people so far and wants to kill those 2 witnesses." Sara began to cry "I don't know how to stop him. I don't know how to stop all of this. I didn't mean for it to get this bad."

Amanda went over to Sara and gave her a hug. "I understand Sara. I am newly divorced and I have 2 small boys. They are everything to me but it isn't always easy making ends meet and it is hard to not be able to provide special things for them like what their friends have. Though it is too bad that you let someone talk you into giving away your country's secrets, I do understand how desperate you must have felt."

Lee shook his head at how good Amanda was at diffusing the situation. Sara had put down her gun and was sitting crying as Amanda held her.

"Where is Nikolay now?" asked Lee.

"He went to the floral shop to pick up the papers and his money out of the safe. He says he will be leaving tonight. He says that you both will be leaving with him and that I'm free after this. I think he intends to kill you both though."

"He does, Sara. We have to stop him. Are you willing to help us stop him?"

"I'm scared but I will try to do what you ask of me. It is the least I can do to correct all the bad I have helped create."

"Good! Here is what we are going to do..." Lee told the plan to both Sara and Amanda.

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A couple of hours later, an angry Nikolay arrived back at the house. His floral shop had been closed down, Jane was nowhere to be seen and Nikolay worried that the agency was onto him. Maybe he should just go back to Russia and tell them that he couldn't kill the witnesses. He knew he couldn't do that though. He would be executed before he was barely off the plane for being a coward. As he walked through the door, he immediately saw that Sara was tied up in a chair and gagged in the living room. Nikolay took out his gun as she motioned with her head towards the kitchen. He quietly walked up to the kitchen entryway and was punched in the face by Lee which caused him to drop his gun. Being a big man meant that he wasn't going down easily and the two began throwing punches back and forth. Amanda managed to kick the gun out of the kitchen and then ducked back into the livingroom. The fight lasted just a few minutes before Lee had gotten Nikolay under control. They had used the phone earlier to tell Billy where they were and so several agents came in to take the trash out. Amanda untied Sara and Lee promised that they would do what they could for her to get a reduced sentence since she helped them. She thanked them as she was led out.

Everyone headed back to the agency for debriefing. After all the reports had been transmitted, Lee, Amanda, Billy and Francine sat around discussing the case.

Amanda asked "So are the witnesses safe?

Billy answered "Yes, we moved them two days ago to a new safe spot."

Lee "That's good news. I'm glad they are safe."

Amanda asked "What will happen to Nikolay?"

"He will go to trial here for murder which will keep him out of commission for awhile."

Lee said "I think Jane will be happy to take over ownership of the floral shop. It turns out that Arianne had been murdered too by Craig but had left behind a will stating that Jane would be the legal owner if anything happened to her. She will do a good job with it."

Francine smiled and said "Amanda dear, that would be the perfect job for you. Wouldn't you prefer to work there instead of this boring agency job?"

"Well Francine, when this job becomes boring, I'll be sure to consider it." Amanda smiled back. Billy and Lee put their hands over their mouths to hide their own smiles.

"So what about Sara?" asked Amanda.

"Sara will have to do some time in jail. The agency will put in a good word for her but she did commit treason by helping Nikolay. Her career of course is ruined too. I'll keep an eye on her though and maybe I can help her out once she has served her time." Billy responded.

"Thank you Sir. She just seemed to be full of bad luck with that gambling issue."

"Oh, Amanda, I didn't tell you. They set her up with that. The people at the casino were contacts for Nikolay and they made sure she lost big. They knew that if she was desperate enough, they could convince her to help them. In fact, it was one of them that actually killed Agent Strafford. We have already arrested the 3 men who were involved and 2 of them have agreed to testify against Nikolay and the third man for reduced sentences. " Lee informed her. "It was the third man who did all the killing. He apparently would make any new employees disappear too before they became suspicious of the activities going on. They needed Jane though so they just tried to hide things from her and since she pretended that she didn't see anything strange, they left her alone."

"Well I guess that's it then. I should get home to Mother and the boys. Oh and Lee you have that date tonight right? With Cyndi, right?"

"Oh thanks for reminding me. I need to get home and get ready. I'll walk you out Amanda."

As they walked to the elevator, Lee said to Amanda "Well thanks for your help on this. I'm sure you will be glad to get back to your non-boring life though."

"You sound like you are saying goodbye."

"Well I don't know if we will need your services again Amanda. Maybe you should see if Jane would like to hire you on."

Amanda smiled and said "And work without my husband? I think we were a package deal."

Lee laughed and said "oh that reminds me, the ring." Amanda took off the ring and handed it to him. He looked down at it and smiled. "I never thought I would marry once say nothing about twice to someone I barely know."

Amanda joined his laughing and said "Yes, well it is no wonder our marriages never last since they start and end so quickly and just have no excitement to them."

They both continued chuckling as they entered the elevator.


	10. Chapter 10 - Ending

**Chapter 10 - Ending**

Lee arrived at Cyndi's house at 7pm as promised and she was waiting for him. As he walked her out to his car, she told him that she was happy he had shown up since her last few dates had blown her off.

"Oh Lee, what a great car. Can I drive?"

"I am sorry Cyndi but no one but me drives my car. It's kind of special to me. I hope you understand."

"Oh sure, boys with their toys. I got it."

They drove in silence to the night club. Once they arrived, Lee bought them both drinks and then took her out on the dance floor. Most of the songs were lively and so they both were being pretty physical in their dancing. Soon the lack of sleep started to affect Lee and he found himself barely being able to keep up with Cyndi even after taking breaks in between songs. He asked if she minded leaving and going back to his place. She smiled and said "That would be perfect" since she was sure this was a ploy to get her alone. Once they were at his apartment, he got them both glasses of wine and Cyndi excused herself and went to the bathroom. Lee was pleased with himself. He had just solved a stressful case and now he was in for a night of hot passion. He sat down on the couch and allowed his body to relax. Cyndi meanwhile decided that she needed to redo her make up since she had sweated from dancing and some of it seemed a bit smeared. It took her several minutes to freshen up and when she came back out, she found Lee fast asleep on the couch. He was definitely a bit of a dreamboat even though he was a bit older than what she normally dated. He would still be fun and it would be nice to be on his arm to make her friends all jealous. Rather than waking him up, she used his phone to call a taxi. She then tore off a piece of paper from a scratch pad he had near the phone and wrote her name on it along with her phone number. She stripped off his shirt, and undid his pants to make it look like more happened that what actually did. She couldn't resist rubbing her hands down his chest. Oh, he was definitely going to be worth the wait. She gave him a peck on the cheek as she slipped the paper into his brown pants and said to him as he slept "I'm Cyndi with an i and I sure hope you call me soon Mr. Handsome. Next time, we will make special memories together. Good Night." Cyndi then slipped out of his hotel leaving Lee to his dreams. In Lee's dreams, it was a brunette lady who kissed him and she had a raspy voice. There was a smile on his face as the dream continued while he slept through the night.

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Amanda arrived home in time to help Dotty with supper. "How was your day dear?" Dotty asked.

"Oh you know mother, that poor German Shepherd was sick all night and today I had to take him to the vet. I think he is going to be okay though."

"Well that's good dear. Oh, you did have a phone call. Jennifer from the hospital asked me to have you call her."

Amanda mused "I wonder what she wants. I haven't had much time to volunteer at the hospital since just after I met Dean."

"Well there's time before dinner, why don't you call her."

"Okay, I think I will Mother."

Amanda dialed the number that Jennifer had left for her. "Hi, Jennifer here" she answered.

"Hi Jennifer,it's Amanda King"

"Oh, hi Amanda. Thanks for calling me back. I have a huge favor to ask. As you know, Beth took over your position as Bedside Bluebelle. She's actually about to have a baby. I was wondering if there was any way that you could come in and cover for her. "

"Jennifer, you know I like being helpful. I'm not sure I can be there full time but I'm sure I can help out a few days each week. I'll start tomorrow."

"That would be great! See you then."

Dotty was staring at her daughter "Amanda dear, I don't know how you find time to do all these things. Between the sick animals, sick people and your own family, you don't have much time for yourself. One of these days, you should really find something that interests you. Someday you are going to be old like me and wonder where did the time go and why didn't you do anything exciting in life? We are all meant to live lives that have their share of adventure and fun and Amanda darling, you just never seem to have any. I mean one day, you are going to wake up and really regret that your life was so ordinary"

 **"** Mother, one thing I can say these days is that my life is far from ordinary." Amanda smiled as she thought about how she couldn't wait till the agency called her to help them again.

The End


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